VIRGINIA CREEPER, ANOTHER INDICATOR OF FALL

VIRGINIA CREEPER...

...DEVELOPING FRUIT...

... TRENDRILS

Saturday,  9:00 AM.  67 degrees F, wind N, light, possibly changing to S.  The sky is partially overcast and it is hazy in the E.  The humidity is up at 85% and the barometer is high but trending down at 30.08".  We got a trace of rain last night, just enough to get Buddy soaking wet as he charged through the underbrush.  We need rain so badly I won't care if the dog smells like a fish.

   Yesterday I began bringing in wood for winter, splitting and putting it in the woodshed.  I have permission to glean it from the logging operation down at my deer stand.  I'll make this a topic of future blogs as I start cutting with my new chain saw.

   Virginia creeper, AKA woodbine, has always been a favorite native plant of mine (except when it invades my garden, as it does on occasion).   Two very similar appearing species grow in Wisconsin, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, and P. inserta. Both species climb by tendrils, which are  grasping modified leaves, but the former also has adhesive disks on the ends of the tendrils to help it ascend trees, posts and other objects.  Pictured is P. inserta.  These plants begin to turn crimson early in the fall.  Both bear panicles of fruit which turns blue-black when ripe.  A third species is P. tricuspidata, an Asian plant which we all know as Boston ivy.  The genus Parthenocissus is in the vine, or grape family, the Vitaceae.  
   The common name name Virginia creeper refers to the plant being named for Queen Elizabeth, the "virgin queen," and obliquely also for the colony of Virginia; the latin genus name also does the same.  Latin and Greek nomenclature always has some de facto  meaning, although often pretty obscure.